Daniel 6:26-27
26 “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
“For he is the living God
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
his dominion will never end.
27 He rescues and he saves;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
Darius the King of the Medes understood what God had revealed about himself through the events surrounding Daniel being thrown into the lions’ den. His decree in the verses before us highlight that the Lord is the living God as opposed to the dead idols of the surrounding cultures. He also notes that the Lord’s kingdom is indestructible and eternal. Then, he emphasises that the Lord rescues his people through his miraculous power.
This focuses our attention on the most significant aspect of these events. They are pointing toward the eternal kingdom established by our Lord Jesus Christ and the glorious life that comes through him. It directs our attention to the saving work of Jesus. Daniel the faithful servant appeared to be dead, who could survive a night with hungry lions? Then by the Lord’s miraculous action he came out alive. In this he foreshadows Jesus, the perfect Son of God who died but rose again.
What do we take from these words of Darius? We are to entrust ourselves to our righteous Lord Jesus who has completed the work of salvation by dying for us and then rising again to give us new life. From the strength of the blessing from him, we can live in thanksgiving to our Lord by being faithful to him as Daniel was, no matter what the opposition might be.
David Johnston
